Boys high school tennis: Players, teams to watch

If Clackamas senior Zhenya Pereverzin didn't already appreciate the historical significance of winning three state singles titles in boys tennis, he gained some perspective last year in the form of a postcard.

Not long after he won title No. 3 in the OSAA Class 6A tournament, he received a note in the mail from Tom Macdonald, who won three in a row for Grant from 1946 to 1948. Macdonald, 79, welcomed him to the exclusive club of three-time champions.

"It was surprising that, first of all, he's still alive," Pereverzin said, "and that he follows tennis still, and that he took the time to send me a letter. It was heartfelt. It really touched my heart."

Eight boys have won three singles titles, a group that grew by two last year with titles by Pereverzin in Class 6A and Cleveland's Alex Rovello in Class 5A. This year, Pereverzin and Rovello have a chance to become the first players to win four titles. They embrace the history.

"He's told me a couple times already, 'I want that fourth more than anything,'" Clackamas coach Charles Hahn said of Pereverzin. "I told him, 'It doesn't matter what else you do in tennis, you'll have this forever.' He's driven to get that fourth title. That's what it's all about for him."

If he completes the four-year sweep, Pereverzin said: "I'll always be the first one to ever do that. If anyone could ever repeat that, it would be a feat in itself."

Rovello said the fourth title motivates him, too.

Three-time boys singles champions

*Emery Neale, Grant (1937-39)

*Tom Macdonald, Grant (1946-48)

*Mike Calkins, Jesuit (1998-2000)

Mike Thoeresz, Catlin Gabel (1997, 1998, 2000)

Dustin Forsyth, Ontario (2001-03)

Scott Morse, Cascade Christian (2006-08)

*Zhenya Pereverzin, Clackamas (2007-09)

Alex Rovello, Cleveland (2007-09)

* -- Big-school division

Bold -- active

"A lot of people at the national level don't know how hard it is to win state titles, and most people judge you off what you do in high school," Rovello said. "It's a pretty big deal. Having to share it with someone means a lot, too."

Would Rovello and Pereverzin like to square off at state to decide the ultimate state title?

"I think we're pretty content that I win in 6A and he wins in 5A," said Pereverzin, the fourth player to win three titles in the big-school division. "We just kind of respectively hold our titles, and we're content with sharing the spotlight."

In the U.S. Tennis Association Pacific Northwest rankings for 18-and-under boys, Pereverzin is No. 4 and Rovello is No. 5. But Rovello has had the upper hand in head-to-head competition.

Rovello estimated that he has played Pereverzin 30 times in junior tournaments, winning all but one of the matches. The last time they met, at a tournament in Bend last May, Rovello won 6-2, 6-2.

Rovello, who has signed with Oregon, enters his senior season at the Southeast Portland school relaxed and confident. He got a boost in December when he made the final of the California Bowl junior tournament.

"To be able to play with the top players really got my confidence up," he said. "I think signing and getting all that done has made me play a lot better. I'm playing with no nerves, not worrying about playing well in front of coaches. It's a big stress reliever."

Rovello has dominated the Class 5A tournament in his career, winning all but 10 games in 12 matches.

"In the last three or four years, I've seen him continue to raise the level of his game," Cleveland coach Darryl Kealy said. "A lot of other players, I've seen them kind of stay at the same level. They haven't really raised the level of their competitiveness."

Rovello's biggest challenge could come from Glencoe junior Stuart Tierney, who took three games from Rovello in the 2008 final. Tierney lost in the semifinals last year.

"You never know who's going to have a hot streak, and Tierney, if he has one, can rip through someone pretty quickly," Kealy said. "He's got all the shots."

Pereverzin -- who has signed with Claremont McKenna, a Division III school in California -- is the only semifinalist returning in Class 6A. Jesuit junior Peder Gram and Southridge junior Chad Chaiyabutr are among the contenders this season.

Taking down Pereverzin won't be easy, though. He was on top of his game last month in winning the Club Green Meadows junior championships in Vancouver, Hahn said.

"Zhenya has such an all-around game," Hahn said. "He's not just a baseliner. He doesn't just hit the ball hard. He can do it all. He has a great finesse game, and he never drops a serve."

Jesuit of Beaverton, which shared the team title with Sprague of Salem last year, appears primed to go for its third consecutive championship in Class 6A.

Summit of Bend, which last year became the first central Oregon school to win a team title, is the favorite in Class 5A. The Storm feature sophomores Adam Krull and Paxton Deuel, the reigning doubles champions.